The lion continues to be an important part of Indian Wildlife and is preserved in the Gir National Park, in Gujarat, India. The Gir National Park, the home of the Asiatic lion is located among the low, undulating and excellently irrigated hills in the Junagadh district of Gujarat in India. Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat was created to protect the last wild population of Lion outside the African regions. Since 1913 when the Lion population over here fell drastically to just 20 animals, the numbers have grown to around 300.


The chinkara, wild boar, striped hyena, jackal, common langur, porcupine, hare, black buck, are the other animals, that can be found in this sanctuary. There are over 200 bird species including the peafowl, grey partridge, Bonelli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, jungle bush quail, painted sandgrouse, common green pigeon and several species of doves . The Gir is also home to the marsh crocodile, which can be sighted easily in its rivers, particularly in the lake of the Kamaleshwar dam. There is also a crocodile breeding farm at Sasan.


The forest is rich in bird life and the paradise flycatcher black headed cuckoo shrike woodpecker, Bonelli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, painted sand grouse, bush quail and grey partridge are among the variety that is found here. Three unusual reserves, the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary where large numbers of water-birds can be seen; the bare saline flats of the Rann of Kutch, incredibly the home of the Indian wild ass and the spectacular Flamingo Island where nesting colonies of flamingoes are to be seen, make Gujarat an exciting place for wildlife enthusiasts.


Topography
The state of Gujarat has some splendid wildlife reserves that are quite out of the ordinary. The Gir National Park is the only home in India of the Asiatic Lion of which there are nearly 300 in the park. This sanctuary lies in the Gujarat peninsula in South West India and is gifted with a terrain that is rugged with low hills and the vegetation is full of mixed deciduous, with stands of Teak, Acacia, Jamun, Tendu and Dhak trees, interspersed with large patches of grasslands. On the hills of the trees are sparse and stunted.


Climate
The park receives a good annual rainfall averaging 1000 mm. The temperatures at the park vary to extremes. In winters, the temperatures go down to as low as 6 degrees centigrade, while soaring up to a scorching 46 degrees in the summers.


Jeep Safari
The best way to see the big cats is, of course, in their natural habitats, at dawn and dusk, when they are on the prowl. Wildlife viewing in the Gir’s is best done, by driving a jeep around the forest.


How to reach

• Air
  The nearest airport from Gir is Keshod 90 km via Veraval. Visitors can easily catch daily flights from Mumbai to Keshod.
• Rail
  The nearest rail connection is the meter gauge rail line of 395 km from Ahemdabad.
• Road
  Gir is situated at a distance of 400 km from Ahmedabad via Rajkot, Junagadh and Mendarda. State Transport buses are easily available from Junagadh and Veraval to Gir, between November and June.